Several media outlets are reporting that former “American Idol” alum C.J. Harris has died.
He was 31.
TMZ was among the first to report Harris’ death.
A family member told TMZ that Harris had suffered an apparent heart attack Sunday night in Jasper, Alabama.
He was taken to an area hospital where he died.
Walker County Coroner Joey Vick confirmed Harris’ death, AL.com reported
An autopsy has been done but officials are awaiting test results to make a final determination as to how he died, according to AL.com.
Harris placed in the top six when he competed on “American Idol” in 2014 during the show’s sixth season, Deadline reported.
Judges praised Harris for his emotional performance during his try out.
“You sing because you have to sing, not because you want to sing,” Keith Urban told Harris, AL.com reported. “That’s why it’s so believable and real. … I just believed it and I felt it.”
He said he got his love of music from when he was a child and his mother would sing to him when she called from prison, People magazine reported.
“Tears would just flow out of my eyes,” he said, according to People magazine. “When I was a little older, my granddad gave me a guitar. He had one in the shed and it had three strings on it. He said I didn’t need to buy a whole new set of strings. So I would tune it in a way that when I strummed it, it sounded like it’s in a key of whatever. I find different sounds. I just love music so I really try to find a sound that I really like and just play it. I know that’s weird, but that’s what I do.”
Before being selected for “Idol’s” sixth season, Harris had tried out for the reality show in 2010, as well as for “The X-Factor” and “The Voice,” Deadline reported. All three were unsuccessful until he went to “Idol’s” tryouts in Salt Lake City while he performed as an indie musician and worked in a restaurant.
He made it all the way to the semi-finals by performing covers of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Soulshine” and The Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See.”
After his stint on reality television, Harris released a debut single in 2019 — “In Love,” Deadline reported. He also performed with Darius Rucker at The Grand Ole Opry and toured with “American Idol,” TMZ reported.
Harris had planned to release new music, saying on Jan. 1 on Facebook that he had “new music coming soon,” People magazine reported.
Happy New Years! New music coming soon!
Posted by CJ Harris on Sunday, January 1, 2023
Harris was a father of two, People magazine reported.
